Comments on: Kovalchuk says “time will tell” if he stays in the KHLhttp://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/
ProHockeyTalk on NBCSports.comFri, 18 Aug 2017 02:45:17 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.com/By: flyerguy73http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-125163
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:13:41 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-125163See ya punk. Stay over there, and I hope you get your butt handed to ya.
]]>By: sheapuckhttp://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-125153
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:44:25 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-125153What would happen if he announced his retirement from the NHL and then played in the KHL?
]]>By: valoisvipershttp://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-125148
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:35:55 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-125148Stay over there then and since you played for the Devils no one will notice you are not there.
]]>By: mpg44http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-125116
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:23:30 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-125116I was also not speaking of the issues with the NHL/khl . I was speaking of his issue with his having to read the CBA and then he will make a decision on what’s best for “him” . That is not how unions work , it should be that he can read it , not agree with it or agree with it . But must stand with whatever the majority vote is about the CBA. He could hate it , be the biggest loser money wise , but it the majority votes it through then as a union member he should do what’s best for the union as a whole and not an individual . All I’m sayi g is he making it sound as though if “he ” doesn’t approve of the CBA , regardless of what the overall union vote is , he will do his own thing . That is not right towards the union.
]]>By: mpg44http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-125113
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:17:30 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-125113I respect your opinion . Perhaps I did not put it the best way. I guess simply put what I don’t like about that is you can’t have it both ways . Do be in the union for only your self interest. The players still need to vote on the CBA ratification and he could certainly vote it down . However , if it passes with the majority vote , he should stand by his union brothers and cry about it.
]]>By: thecheemanhttp://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-125108
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 13:43:24 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-125108mpg44 – I have to strongly disagree here with your notion of what unions are for. They are to benefit the members of the union, and while the union might pay lipservice to what’s best for the whole organization, that is clearly secondary.

The gentleman’s agreement between the KHL and NHL is clearly a deflationary factor on salaries. If the NHL was in a position where owners had to pay a higher price for top talent to outbid the KHL that would be better for overall player salary levels. The KHL gets not much out of that deal except the promise that the NHL will send players to the Olympics in Russia.

This move is probably just a power play by the KHL using the main weapon in their arsenal (opening up the checkbooks to lure away talent at any time, causing NHL chaos) to get what they need (NHL talent in Sochi). Once the Sochi Olympics are over, you might see the gloves really come off the KHL as they will probably have nothing left to lose by maintaining their agreement with the NHL.

If I was Donald Fehr, I would probably be very excited about that prospect of increased demand for player services, meaning increased salaries. Even within the context of the CBA it might lead to more spending up to the cap across more franchises.

He signed a massive contract that knew would go beyond the current CBA, he got paid enormous amounts of money and shaped how the Devils planned both their current roster and their future roster.

No … he does not have the right to stay in Russia because the CBA expired.

]]>By: bramptondonhttp://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-125023
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 03:24:02 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-125023He signed that long contract because at that time the Devils had to do it that way because of the cap. Still the league thought it was in violation and penalized the team which ended up in my opinion costing them a playoff spot. They paid way too much for him. By him talking of staying in the KHL only proves my point he has no concern for Devils and no respect for the NHL which ironically gave him the opportunity to improve his lot in the first place.
]]>By: jimw81http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-125020
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 03:19:38 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-125020i agree, IIHF will step in and tell KHL to stop it for now. IIHF has to much to lose now with Olympics around the corner.
]]>By: caucasian1975http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-125009
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 02:45:02 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-125009Huge load of bs. If kovalchuk was so enamored with the khl and returning to Russia why did he sign such a long deal?
]]>By: bramptondonhttp://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-124981
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 01:43:49 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-124981The KHL will honour the NHL contract because Russia wants the NHL in the Olympics they are hosting. That is the only reason.
]]>By: mpg44http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-124976
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 01:36:08 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-124976Actually …. His contract he signed was WAS and still IS subject to the current rules of the CBA . If this is really a surprise to kovy , then Shame on his agent for not properly explaining it especially since the CBA was set to expire within the timeframe of his contract.

Also , the whole point of being in a union is to unite with your fellow tradesman and better the WHOLE organization. This does not mean only when the outcome suits YOUR liking . This logic completely destroys all that a unions stands for. If the outcome was to mean SO much to him in particular, ( unfortunatly I need to point out Sid “crybaby ” Crosby’s involment in the negotiations ) , then HE should have been here fighting for what he thought was fair and not playing in another league. But by sitting back and allowing others to negotiate on your behalf , then you must go on whatever the deal is , and that it was the best deal possible . Since it was too much out of your day to be involved, then don’t cry about how much YOU had at stake .

]]>By: rockthered1286http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-124970
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 01:11:42 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-124970Taking a different angle on this- wouldn’t this be a HUGE black mark on Bettman? I know it takes two to tango but I still believe he made this lockout much worse than it had to be. Imagine if the result of this excruciating lockout is not only substantially lower revenue in 2013, but also the loss of several star NHL talents that never would have happened had a resolution come quicker?

That being said- Kovy will be back.

]]>By: bramptondonhttp://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-124969
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 01:03:57 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-124969It wasn’t that long ago that European and Iron Curtain players were begging to get into the NHL. It gave them financial rewards and freedom from oppression that they could only dream of. Now they are disparaging the NHL and threatening not to honour their contracts. Here is what I say to them- You ungrateful wretches stay in your rat hole countries and don’t come back. I’m sure our North American boys would appreciate it.
]]>By: sportsfan69http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-124968
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:55:08 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-124968The NJ Devils should sue llya Kovalchuk for a breach of contract. Why should Mr. Kovalchuk be allowed to walk away from his contract? If the Devils wanted to cut llya Kovalchuk, they couldn’t do it without buying him out of his entire guaranteed contract. It’s a two way street. You can’t have it both ways, It’s a commitment, honor it or buy out to the remaining contract to the NJ Devils with severe financial penalties. Or retire from the game of hockey until the original contract expires.
]]>By: barkar942http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-124967
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:55:06 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-124967One of the two biggest KHL Scabs. Let him stay if he wants to. It is a free world!
]]>By: sampullshttp://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-124953
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:18:30 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-124953A player not honouring their contract? Heaven forbid.
]]>By: hy3rid28http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-124951
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:11:28 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-124951yeah right… we all know your coming back ilya stop with the bs
]]>By: martysbetterhttp://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-124943
Tue, 08 Jan 2013 23:55:06 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-124943People don’t predicate legal agreements based on vague assumptions like “the NHL was probably going to get a higher % if HRR in the new CBA”.

Think back…waaaaaaay back to when Kovy signed his deal in New Jersey, was anyone talking about HRR and the new CBA during that year while the league was posting record profit?

It wasn’t even a story, if you had the foresight in 2010 to predict CBA & HRR issues, you should have alerted the rest of us – because you act like all of these issues were foregone conclusions years before they even came into public view.

Side Note: Yes the world does work like that, and the league has demonstrated that by allowing 2 contractual buyouts for each team.

]]>By: stakexhttp://nhl.nbcsports.com/2013/01/08/kovalchuk-says-time-will-tell-if-he-stays-in-the-khl/comment-page-1/#comment-124935
Tue, 08 Jan 2013 23:37:08 +0000http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/?p=918333#comment-124935You are missing one HUGE fact…. when Kovy (or any NHL player) signed his contract, he knew damn well his salary could be cut in a new CBA. In fact, for a couple years now its been no secret that the NHL was probably going to get a higher % if HRR in the new CBA. So don’t act like he signed this deal fully expecting, and being told by the Devils, that his salary would never be cut… because he knew damn well it probably would be.

Also, theres nothing in his contract that allows him to walk away from it should his salary be cut. Thus his salary being cut is NOT a violation of his contract and as an employee he has no choice but to honor it. CBA negotiations and as such are part of the business as you point out… walking away from a legal contract for no legal reason isn’t. I don’t know about you, but I consider someone willing to walk away from a legal contract, with no legal reason for doing so, to have serious character issues.

Side Note: By your logic, teams should be able to walk away from contracts when a player doesn’t perform. After all, if I sign you to a deal expecting a certain level of performance (performance has a dollar value in this world) and you don’t deliever… I’m not getting the full value of that contract, so why should I pay you? In your world I should be able to cancel the contract and not pay you a dime. The world however, does not work like that.